“I’m going to just go ahead and say it … the blacks are the ones causing the problems and this ‘racial tension,’” Fitzgibbons said. “I guess that’s what happens when you flunk out of school and have no education. I’m sure their parents are just as guilty for not knowing what their kids were doing; or knew it and didn’t care.”

The veteran teacher expressed regret that black Americans were no longer legally obligated to live in segregated neighborhoods and attend separate schools from whites.

“I’m almost to the point of wanting them all segregated on one side of town so they can hurt each other and leave the innocent people alone,” Fitzgibbons said. “Maybe the 50s and 60s were really on to something. Now, let the bashing of my true and honest opinion begin….GO!”

“It was not an educational post; it was a personal experience post,” Fitzgibbons told the paper, adding she has a personal connection to the McKinney incident, in which a white police officer abused black teenagers at a pool party.

She added, “I apologized to the appropriate people,” declining to identify those people.

Fitzgibbons insists her post “was not directed at any one person or group.”

UPDATE 12pm PT, Thu June 11: The school district fired her.

FISD Statement Concerning Employee Electronic Media Use

FISD Seal On Wednesday afternoon, Frenship Independent School District was made aware of a statement posted on a Facebook page by a Frenship ISD employee earlier this week.

Frenship ISD is deeply disappointed in the thoughtlessness conveyed by this employee’s post. We find these statements to be extremely offensive, insensitive, and disrespectful to our Frenship community and citizens everywhere. These comments in no way represent the educational environment we have created for our students.

The employee whose account is responsible for the post will be relieved of her teaching duties at Frenship ISD.

We hold our employees responsible for their public conduct even when they are not on active duty as district employees. Employees are held to the same professional standards in their public use of electronic media as they are for any other public conduct. This recent conduct was unacceptable.

]]>http://boingboing.net/2015/06/11/texas-schoolteacher-not-a-ra.html/feed0Baffling 1941 newspaper comic strip: "The Evening Argument"http://boingboing.net/2013/11/15/baffling-1941-newspaper-comic.html
http://boingboing.net/2013/11/15/baffling-1941-newspaper-comic.html#commentsFri, 15 Nov 2013 21:25:49 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=268584On Facebook, cartoonist Michael Kupperman posted a collection of these baffling newspaper comics from 1941 called "The Evening Argument." He is at a loss to explain what is going on, as am I.]]>On Facebook, cartoonist Michael Kupperman posted a collection of these baffling newspaper comics from 1941 called "The Evening Argument." He is at a loss to explain what is going on, as am I.

At first glance I thought these were a kind of "Goofus and Gallant" comic. So did several of the people commenting on Michael's post, including Anthony DeVito, who said, "Wait, I think I've got it: Aunt Het is supposed to be of strong moral fiber, while the women in Poor Pa are assholes. And then everyone argues all evening!"

James Urbaniak offers an appealing theory: "Separate strips published under a joint title because of their parallel styles and lack of humor," while Will Keen insists they are "discreet sex adverts."

We may never know the truth. Even so, I share cartoonist Mark Newgarden's sentiment: "My new favorite thing in the world." I would happily buy a book filled with these comics.

]]>http://boingboing.net/2013/11/15/baffling-1941-newspaper-comic.html/feed0Why letting a pregnant woman's heart stop could save both her and her babyhttp://boingboing.net/2013/10/04/why-letting-a-pregnant-woman.html
http://boingboing.net/2013/10/04/why-letting-a-pregnant-woman.html#commentsFri, 04 Oct 2013 19:41:06 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=259756Spend less time trying to get the mother's heart pumping again. Not only does it give the infants a better shot at survival, it also, insanely enough, saves more mothers. Turns out, once somebody removes the other human from your body, your failed heart will often just start pumping again on its own. ]]>http://boingboing.net/2013/10/04/why-letting-a-pregnant-woman.html/feed0"Aggressive bush" defeats mailmenhttp://boingboing.net/2013/07/03/aggressive-bush-defeats-ma.html
http://boingboing.net/2013/07/03/aggressive-bush-defeats-ma.html#commentsWed, 03 Jul 2013 20:02:37 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=240590Metro: "A Shropshire man has been told by the Royal Mail he will not receive any post unless he cuts back his aggressive raspberry bush."]]>Metro: "A Shropshire man has been told by the Royal Mail he will not receive any post unless he cuts back his aggressive raspberry bush."]]>http://boingboing.net/2013/07/03/aggressive-bush-defeats-ma.html/feed0Terrifying celebrity video faceswapshttp://boingboing.net/2013/05/14/terrifying-celebrity-video-fac.html
http://boingboing.net/2013/05/14/terrifying-celebrity-video-fac.html#commentsTue, 14 May 2013 21:43:51 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=230269Tom Hanks + Zooey Deschanel, stay for Mike Tyson + Michelle Obama, then run in terror from Sarah Palin + Honey Boo.]]>Come for Tom Hanks + Zooey Deschanel, stay for Mike Tyson + Michelle Obama, then run in terror from Sarah Palin + Honey Boo. The animated GIF has reached its apogee in
Hybrid Celebrities, a collection of nightmarish video faceswaps at the distinctly NSFW DailyPicDump.com. [Thanks, Papa Fapa!] UPDATE: They're taken from this sketch. [Team Coco]]]>http://boingboing.net/2013/05/14/terrifying-celebrity-video-fac.html/feed16My Little Ponies humanized for moviehttp://boingboing.net/2013/05/13/my-little-ponies-humanized-for.html
http://boingboing.net/2013/05/13/my-little-ponies-humanized-for.html#commentsMon, 13 May 2013 19:35:43 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=230009"Why?" The New York Times investigates:

“We are responding to the desire by our fans to experience the brand in more ways,” said John A.

“We are responding to the desire by our fans to experience the brand in more ways,” said John A. Frascotti, Hasbro’s chief marketing officer. “They imagined themselves as which pony they would be or which pony they identified with the most.” So Hasbro created Equestria Girls, a parallel world in which the My Little Pony characters were reconceived as teenage girls in high school.

Seriously, it's happening every day now, people coming up to us and saying "I want to experience your brand in more ways. Could you lose the hooves and snouts?" ]]>

http://boingboing.net/2013/05/13/my-little-ponies-humanized-for.html/feed91Feather emerges from baby's neckhttp://boingboing.net/2013/05/10/feather-emerges-from-babys-n.html
http://boingboing.net/2013/05/10/feather-emerges-from-babys-n.html#commentsFri, 10 May 2013 22:30:26 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=229655a 2-inch feather eventually poked its way out of her neck, shocking everyone." [ABC]]]>a 2-inch feather eventually poked its way out of her neck, shocking everyone." [ABC]]]>http://boingboing.net/2013/05/10/feather-emerges-from-babys-n.html/feed39CNN fakes satellite interview with two anchors in same car lothttp://boingboing.net/2013/05/09/cnn-fakes-satellite-interview.html
http://boingboing.net/2013/05/09/cnn-fakes-satellite-interview.html#commentsThu, 09 May 2013 14:56:33 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=229231extravagantly bizarre moment, courtesy of the producers of CNN Headline News, defies explanation in its giggle-inducing madness.]]>extravagantly bizarre moment, courtesy of the producers of CNN Headline News, defies explanation in its giggle-inducing madness. ]]>http://boingboing.net/2013/05/09/cnn-fakes-satellite-interview.html/feed26Eyeballs found in trashhttp://boingboing.net/2013/03/28/eyeballs-found-in-trash.html
http://boingboing.net/2013/03/28/eyeballs-found-in-trash.html#commentsThu, 28 Mar 2013 15:52:35 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=221902eyeballs ended up in a trash bin at a gas station in Kansas City," reports the Associated Press.]]>eyeballs ended up in a trash bin at a gas station in Kansas City," reports the Associated Press.]]>http://boingboing.net/2013/03/28/eyeballs-found-in-trash.html/feed27TEDxWTFhttp://boingboing.net/2013/03/25/tedxwtf.html
http://boingboing.net/2013/03/25/tedxwtf.html#commentsMon, 25 Mar 2013 17:06:57 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=220846TED Talks has expanded to ever-wider audiences and (in doing so) has lost control of its own brand.]]>TED Talks has expanded to ever-wider audiences and (in doing so) has lost control of its own brand. It's also an excellent object lesson in why slapping the TED logo on something doesn't make it true. ]]>http://boingboing.net/2013/03/25/tedxwtf.html/feed29Sinkholes: Swallowing everything, including the kitchen sinkhttp://boingboing.net/2013/03/06/sinkholes-swallowing-everythi.html
http://boingboing.net/2013/03/06/sinkholes-swallowing-everythi.html#commentsWed, 06 Mar 2013 16:57:15 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=216924The USGS does not say how many leaky faucets, or how bad a leak, it might take to trigger a sinkhole, but the basic idea is that saturating usually dry soil could cause it to shift, so you'd assume it would have to mean a lot of water leaking into the soil under the house. ]]>http://boingboing.net/2013/03/06/sinkholes-swallowing-everythi.html/feed5WTF, evolution?http://boingboing.net/2013/01/17/wtf-evolution.html
http://boingboing.net/2013/01/17/wtf-evolution.html#commentsThu, 17 Jan 2013 21:24:29 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=206414helpful critiques of some of the weirder parts of nature.]]>helpful critiques of some of the weirder parts of nature. ]]>http://boingboing.net/2013/01/17/wtf-evolution.html/feed11What is this bizarre Indian "health gadget" from 1950s Bombay?http://boingboing.net/2012/12/21/what-is-this-bizarre-indian.html
http://boingboing.net/2012/12/21/what-is-this-bizarre-indian.html#commentsFri, 21 Dec 2012 15:07:40 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=201977
Crate-digging for old records on eBay, my brother found this bizarre health gadget identified as having been produced in Bombay in the 1950s.]]>

Crate-digging for old records on eBay, my brother found this bizarre health gadget identified as having been produced in Bombay in the 1950s. The seller writes:

Very rare and old Twin Transilluminator in Box from India 1950 in good condition. Its medical Instrument for sinuses and Eye therapy. Its made of steel and backlit. its electrical. on box has some description and photos about how to use this Instrument. Its rare and unique medical Instrument and must for medical instruments collectors. The size of box is 9 inch in length, and its width is 5 inch.

What the heck is the history behind this gizmo? More photos below.

]]>

http://boingboing.net/2012/12/21/what-is-this-bizarre-indian.html/feed30NOAA to American public: No, we are not going to just nuke the stormshttp://boingboing.net/2012/11/05/noaa-to-american-public-no-w.html
http://boingboing.net/2012/11/05/noaa-to-american-public-no-w.html#commentsMon, 05 Nov 2012 15:20:15 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=192227

A Q&A piece on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration begins with this incredibly disconcerting sentence: "During each hurricane season, there always appear suggestions that one should simply use nuclear weapons to try and destroy the storms."

Really?

]]>

A Q&A piece on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration begins with this incredibly disconcerting sentence: "During each hurricane season, there always appear suggestions that one should simply use nuclear weapons to try and destroy the storms."

Really? Seriously, America?

Anyway, the entire piece ends up being pretty fascinating, as research meteorologist Chris Landsea explains why nuking a hurricane would be a bad idea ... besides, you know, the obvious reasons.

... an explosive, even a nuclear explosive, produces a shock wave, or pulse of high pressure, that propagates away from the site of the explosion somewhat faster than the speed of sound. Such an event doesn't raise the barometric pressure after the shock has passed because barometric pressure in the atmosphere reflects the weight of the air above the ground. For normal atmospheric pressure, there are about ten metric tons (1000 kilograms per ton) of air bearing down on each square meter of surface. In the strongest hurricanes there are nine. To change a Category 5 hurricane into a Category 2 hurricane you would have to add about a half ton of air for each square meter inside the eye, or a total of a bit more than half a billion (500,000,000) tons for a 20 km radius eye. It's difficult to envision a practical way of moving that much air around.

Attacking weak tropical waves or depressions before they have a chance to grow into hurricanes isn't promising either. About 80 of these disturbances form every year in the Atlantic basin, but only about 5 become hurricanes in a typical year. There is no way to tell in advance which ones will develop. If the energy released in a tropical disturbance were only 10% of that released in a hurricane, it's still a lot of power, so that the hurricane police would need to dim the whole world's lights many times a year.

At left, the new Honda Fit She's, a car available in predictable pink or what the maker calls "eyeliner brown." The vehicle is designed for the female market in Japan, and costs around $17.5K USD at current exchange rates.

]]>

At left, the new Honda Fit She's, a car available in predictable pink or what the maker calls "eyeliner brown." The vehicle is designed for the female market in Japan, and costs around $17.5K USD at current exchange rates. Official website here, in Japanese.

The Honda Fit She's features a “Plasmacluster” climate control system the maker claims can improve skin quality, a windshield that prevents wrinkles, a pink interior stitching, "tutti-frutti-hued chrome bezels," and an adorable heart instead of an apostrophe in “She’s.”

Above right, screengrab of the Petticoat 5, the world's first computer "designed for women, by women," as featured in the "Computers" episode of Peter Serafinowicz and Robert Popper's BBC cult series, "Look Around You." It features a built-in emery board with which you can file your nails; a makeup mirror; and when you press the "S" key, the keyboard emits a puff of fragrance in mint or tomato.

http://boingboing.net/2012/10/26/honda-designs-a-car-for-wome.html/feed86Court sets accused rapist free, arguing severely disabled woman who can't talk could still refuse sexhttp://boingboing.net/2012/10/09/court-sets-accused-rapist-free.html
http://boingboing.net/2012/10/09/court-sets-accused-rapist-free.html#commentsWed, 10 Oct 2012 02:12:07 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=186248there was no evidence she could not communicate her refusal to have sex with the defendant." She cerebral palsy, cannot verbally communicate, and "is so physically restricted that she is able to make motions only with her right index finger."

Cory and I traded emails about this ruling, and here are his thoughts:

The judge ruled on the law the guy was accused of violating,
which is a very narrow statute, and the guy was not guilty of
violating the statute under which he was charged. The judge even told
the prosecutor that this was the wrong statute to be using. The
prosecutor -- for whatever reason -- stuck to his guns. Now because of
double jeopardy, the guy gets away with it.

My guess is that the prosecutor chose to prosecute under the statute
because it carried a higher penalty, and thought that he could
intimidate the accused into settling with the threat of a much longer
sentence. Instead, this backfired on him. But that's not the defense
attorney's fault (his job is to represent his client), and it's not
the judge's fault (his job is to rule on questions of law). It's not
even the law's fault (there are statutes under which this guy is
clearly guilty, but those weren't the statutes used in the case)
Sounds like it's the prosecutor's fault for trying to shortcut the
trial with a quick plea through a bogus charge.

I guess the point is that it's a different kind of problem: this isn't
a case where society can't tell the difference between "legitimate
rape" and some other kind of rape. It seems like the judge would have
been happy to lock this guy up, if the prosecutor had charged him with
the crime he'd actually committed, and it's probably good that judges
aren't willing to convict people of crimes they haven't committed.

In Zhengzhou, Henan province on Thursday morning, a man in a motorized three-wheel wagon was a bit eager at a yellow light, according to a witness, and crashed into another vehicle, causing him to lose his cargo of 700 jin of raw eggs.

In Zhengzhou, Henan province on Thursday morning, a man in a motorized three-wheel wagon was a bit eager at a yellow light, according to a witness, and crashed into another vehicle, causing him to lose his cargo of 700 jin of raw eggs. We’re not talking about a restaurant server dropping a stack of plates here — 1 jin equals approximately 500 grams, so what we have is 770 pounds of eggs, if you choose to believe it. That amount could serve an entire block of restaurants for a week, and would cost — for some — a month’s salary. (Assuming an egg weighs 2 ounces — it might if it were large and you rounded up — we’re looking at more than 6,000 eggs.)

While some helped the man collect his spillage, others came with plastic bags for their own benefit.

BB Community moderator Antinous (the person who nukes your comments at Boing Boing when you act like a dick) plucked this gem from the jaws of YouTube and says,

I could watch this a hundred times and find something new to be horrified at every time. I love Rameau's music, but who thought that it was a good idea to have the singers doing the chicken dance in front of a giant turkey cloaca while clenching corncob pipes in their teeth?

You need to see it on a proper monitor to appreciate the full cavalcade of racialist nuances.

The opera-ballet shown, "The Noble Savages" is by French Baroque era composer Jean-Philippe Rameau. More about its history here, and you can buy the music on Amazon if you're so inclined. I can maybe give the dude a break, seeing as how it was all, like, 1725 when he wrote it and stuff, man. But there can be no forgiveness for any of the contemporary humans involved in this production.]]>

http://boingboing.net/2012/08/31/shit-white-people-do-part-ump.html/feed143In China, some people are seriously into collecting pairs of big, round, nuts, and playing with themhttp://boingboing.net/2012/08/28/in-china-some-people-are-seri.html
http://boingboing.net/2012/08/28/in-china-some-people-are-seri.html#commentsTue, 28 Aug 2012 16:09:17 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=178474

[Video Link]. Collecting pairs of walnuts is a thing in China. The bigger and the older, the better! "Playing with these kind of nuts isn't for ordinary people," says one collector in this exquisite Reuters News video.

]]>

[Video Link]. Collecting pairs of walnuts is a thing in China. The bigger and the older, the better! "Playing with these kind of nuts isn't for ordinary people," says one collector in this exquisite Reuters News video. (via Shanghaiist)]]>

http://boingboing.net/2012/08/28/in-china-some-people-are-seri.html/feed17China: Statue in public square appears to show pigs having incestuous sexhttp://boingboing.net/2012/08/23/china-statue-in-public-square.html
http://boingboing.net/2012/08/23/china-statue-in-public-square.html#commentsThu, 23 Aug 2012 18:05:25 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=177893Pigs Depicted Having Sex Doggy-Style In Zhengzhou Public Square Are Said To Represent Filial Piety.]]>Pigs Depicted Having Sex Doggy-Style In Zhengzhou Public Square Are Said To Represent Filial Piety.]]>http://boingboing.net/2012/08/23/china-statue-in-public-square.html/feed12Mars Curiosity/LFMAO parody video: "We're NASA and We Know It"http://boingboing.net/2012/08/16/mars-curiositylfmao-parody-vi.html
http://boingboing.net/2012/08/16/mars-curiositylfmao-parody-vi.html#commentsFri, 17 Aug 2012 01:40:12 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=176893

[Video Link]. This parody music video debuted this week on a new YouTube channel called Satire, and mashes up LMFAO's hit “Sexy and I Know It” with the NASA Curiosity mission and abundant JPL-love.

]]>

[Video Link]. This parody music video debuted this week on a new YouTube channel called Satire, and mashes up LMFAO's hit “Sexy and I Know It” with the NASA Curiosity mission and abundant JPL-love.

"It comes complete with shout-outs to Carl Sagan and Neil deGrasse Tyson," reports the Washington Post, which dug into the story behind its creation. Half a million views so far, huh? Best NASA PSA ever.]]>

http://boingboing.net/2012/08/16/cat-dance-video.html/feed38Steve Jobs' Palo Alto burglarized in "totally random" attackhttp://boingboing.net/2012/08/14/steve-jobs-palo-alto-burglar.html
http://boingboing.net/2012/08/14/steve-jobs-palo-alto-burglar.html#commentsTue, 14 Aug 2012 15:57:22 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=176379The San Jose Mercury News reports that the Palo Alto home where deceased Apple co-founder Steve Jobs once lived was burglarized in a "totally random" attack last night.]]>The San Jose Mercury News reports that the Palo Alto home where deceased Apple co-founder Steve Jobs once lived was burglarized in a "totally random" attack last night. More than $60,000 worth of "computers and personal items" were allegedly stolen, and a suspect has been taken into custody. (via Steve Silberman)]]>http://boingboing.net/2012/08/14/steve-jobs-palo-alto-burglar.html/feed13Thailand: politician accidentally kills woman with machine gun in restauranthttp://boingboing.net/2012/08/14/thailand-politician-accidenta.html
http://boingboing.net/2012/08/14/thailand-politician-accidenta.html#commentsTue, 14 Aug 2012 15:52:38 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=176377CNN reports that a Thai politician accidentally shot and killed his ex-wife with a submachine gun in a restaurant in northern Thailand.]]>CNN reports that a Thai politician accidentally shot and killed his ex-wife with a submachine gun in a restaurant in northern Thailand. "Senator Boonsong's gun was accidentally fired off while he was trying to keep his pistol into its case." The shot went "straight in" to his female dining companion. Other news organizations report the deceased as his cousin, or his secretary.]]>http://boingboing.net/2012/08/14/thailand-politician-accidenta.html/feed27The Counting Song, by Adam Buxton, dir. Cyriak (video)http://boingboing.net/2012/08/10/the-counting-song-by-adam-bux.html
http://boingboing.net/2012/08/10/the-counting-song-by-adam-bux.html#commentsFri, 10 Aug 2012 16:48:36 +0000http://boingboing.net/?p=175885[video link]. Illustrations by Sarah Brown. Do stay with it. Things escalate. (HT: Tim Shey)]]>

Williams was present when two masked thugs walked into the Palms Internet Cafe in Marion County, Florida. One of the men was brandishing a gun while the other had a bat. They started ordering patrons around and one smashes a computer screen. That's when Williams took action.

Williams was seated toward the back of the cafe dressed in a white shirt, shorts and baseball cap.
One of the masked men, identified as Duwayne Henderson, 19 [at left in photo], comes in pointing a handgun at customers. The second man, Davis Dawkins, 19 [at right in photo], is seen swinging a bat at something off screen, which was later identified as a $1,200 computer screen.

As Henderson turns his back, Williams pulls out a .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun, stands from his chair, takes two steps, nearly drops to one knee, and fires two shots at Henderson, who bolts for the front door.
Williams takes several more steps toward the door and continues firing as Henderson and Dawkins fall over one another trying to exit the building. The two eventually run off screen.